The Guardian
trending topics

Viacom Releases More Unsealed Documents In Google Case

  • Comments Comments (View)
  • Text Size: A A

Scant hours before Google (NSDQ: GOOG) releases earnings, Viacom (NYSE: VIA) has released another batch of just-unsealed documents in its $1 billion lawsuit against the company. The last batch revealed considerable discussion at YouTube about how to deal with video uploaded sans permission and an awareness of how such content could be used to increase traffic. Google released its own, showing Viacom’s interest in acquiring YouTube and uploads of its own content. This new batch, which includes excerpts from Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s deposition and Google’s analysis of YouTube’s business pre-acquisition. The nine new exhibits,  says Viacom, bolster its claim “that Google made a deliberate, calculated business decision not only to profit from copyright infringement, but also to use the threat of copyright infringement to try to coerce rights owners like Viacom into licensing their content on Google’s terms.”

Not too much new in the documents that we’e looked at (so far) although they reinforce that Google certainly understood before buying YouTube that much of the content on the site was pirated. For instance, a note appended to one internal Google presentation says: “YouTube’s business model is completely sustained by pirated content.” (Google has countered that many of the pirated clips were in fact uploaded covertly by Viacom and its representatives.)

SEE ALSO: YouTube-Viacom, Part Two: YouTube Founders’ E-Mails Show Struggles Over Copyrighted Works

Google’s statement today in response to the latest documents: “It’s revealing that Viacom is trying to litigate this case in the press. These documents aren’t new. They are taken out of context and have nothing to do with this lawsuit.”

Apr 15, 2010 3:04 PM ET

Posted In: Legal, Companies, Google, YouTube, Viacom

(Page 1 of 1)


The Bestsellers

From iTunes and YouTube to Facebook and Kindle, the most popular content on the web, free and paid.

Kindle (Free) Kindle (Free)
1. Thread of Hope
2. All Different Kinds Of Free
3. Puzzlebook: 102 Puzzle Quizzes (FREE…
4. The Wedding Ransom
5. Candy Cookbook
See The Other Bestsellers »

Jobs RSS Job Listings

Social Standing

Which media brands are getting a lift from Tweeters and bloggers right now -- and which are getting panned?

"Sentiment" Scores for All the Companies »

Sponsors

Staff